The list goes on. I’d worked so hard since he was first diagnosed to build a team of specialists that I could trust, and to fine tune his treatment through his many stages. The idea of starting from scratch once again seemed daunting.

This is a familiar dilemma for parents of children with autism, and the inspiration behind MyAutismTeam(www.myautismteam.com.)

“What if each of your friends suggested their favorite doctors and autism specialists, and you could know at a glance who to turn to for help?” asks Jen Myers, the parent of a son with autism and a member of MyAutismTeam’s advisory board,”MyAutismTeam plans to make it that easy.”

Parents will be able to use MyAutismTeam to exchange tips and advice about their favorite autism providers with other parents by recommending their team of providers, writing reviews of providers and even adding autism-friendly businesses to the autism database.

What exactly is a ‘team’?

“A team on MyAutismTeam is everyone you recommend,” says Mary Ray, one myautismteam.com’s creators, “Everyone from that special speech therapist to the friendly barber who ‘gets it.’ It’s the team of people you’ve brought together to make life on the spectrum better for your child.”

The teams that parents are already creating on MyAutismTeam go way beyond just medical and standard autism therapy.Folks are adding special programs at local parks, music teachers, karate instructors, and the gyms that parents themselves go to to stay sane.

Parents are also posting requests for help/advice on homeschooling, and how to get help from staff when a child is hospitalized.

MyAutismTeam’s goal is to have 100,000 parents on the site exchanging information with each other, nationwide. It will remain free to the public.

(Cities where parents have signed up for MyAutismTeam HERE and constantly updated.)

“The more parents, the more knowledge, the more wisdom of crowds help the kids thrive on the spectrum,” says Ray,”We want parents to EASILY connect with each other to exchange information through their teams, through posted updates they make on the site and more.”